GREEN BAY - Students from Northeast Wisconsin will be able to
earn a manufacturing engineering degree at Northeast Wisconsin
Technical College's Green Bay campus under an historic agreement
signed today by leaders from NWTC, the University of Wisconsin-Stout
in Menomonie, Wis., and the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay.

"We are excited to participate in this groundbreaking endeavor that allows people in our district to stay in our district while they complete their studies," said NWTC President Dr. H. Jeffrey Rafn. "The partnership between NWTC, UW-Green Bay, and UW-Stout reflects the commitment that all of us in higher education have to provide the highest quality education to the people here in Wisconsin."

During the morning celebration held at NWTC's Manufacturing Technology Center, NWTC also announced its new manufacturing engineering technology associate degree that will be offered in collaboration with UW-Green Bay.

Graduates of the new two-year program will be able to transfer as juniors into UW-Stout's manufacturing engineering bachelor of science degree program. The third and fourth years of the program will be taught by UW-Stout faculty on the NWTC Green Bay campus — enabling students to stay closer to home.

"We are extremely pleased to partner with two fine institutions in delivering a needed engineering program to Northeast Wisconsin," said UW-Stout Chancellor Charles W. Sorensen. "This is done in the best sense of educational collaboration and will have an impact on the economic growth of the state."

"The collaborative manufacturing engineering program is an excellent example of how our universities and technical colleges can work together for the benefit of our state's citizens," added UW-Green Bay Chancellor Bruce Shepard. "It will help build a brighter future for our region and state and meet the changing economic needs of Wisconsin."

NWTC's manufacturing engineering technology associate degree prepares students to work in the manufacturing sector assisting engineers and managers in developing new products and improving production processes. For more information, go to www.nwtc.edu or call (920) 498-5444.

The manufacturing engineering program at UW-Stout prepares students to be involved with the production process, from product design through post-sale service. Manufacturing engineers work with other professionals to design products and the automated systems that produce them. They are experts in selecting the right materials to use and processing them into usable products. They know how to control automated production systems with computers, and they utilize advanced technologies when appropriate.

More information on the program at UW-Stout is available at www.uwstout.edu/programs/bsmfe/ps.html.